I was excited when the bulletin boards I'd ordered finally arrived and were mounted to the walls. I think it makes a huge difference in the windowless, florescent-lit space! This afternoon, I spent some time putting up butcher paper and borders, but I have yet to decide what exactly will go onto the boards! The purple board has a border with the continents (middle row of the last photo below) and the grey board has the multi-colored dots. I would like to post some of the postcards I have collected from around the world on the purple board, and I am considering a character traits theme for the dots board. Stay tuned for the final results!

UPDATE: September 18, 2014Here is the most recent update to my office, which we will call the "after" photos (despite the fact that I probably won't be done with this office until, oh, mid-May…). First you can see the entrance to my office, with a welcome sign (but, alas, still no "where is Ms. G?" sign yet). Inside, you can see the front half of the room with table, chairs, and shelves for art supplies and games (and there is a small area with bean bags for a calming down space). In the other half, I have my desk area with reference books and curriculum hidden away. There is a small couch that is hidden from the door, making it a great spot for students, teachers, or parents to come in for a private chat. There is also more storage hidden away, for sensory materials as well as the odds and ends that all counselors need for the many roles we play.

For the new bulletin boards, I decided on themes of global citizenship and growth mindset. The purple board boasts some of the postcards from the many years I have been collecting postcards from everyone else's exotic adventures (and now- finally- I can buy some to represent my own travels!!!). It's already generated a lot of conversation with my well- traveled students and families!

For the growth mindset board, I used different colored circles to display fixed versus growth mindset examples. I hope to have students try their hand at creating some of their own examples during guidance lessons. Check out the original board at this blog.

Since then, I have added lamps to lessen the harsh nature of the fluorescent lights, and will one day add that locate-the-counselor sign. In the meantime, I am feeling more at home in my office. I was truly pleased to hear a student tell me the other day that he thought my office was comfortable and a good place to hang out in… worth all the effort, for sure!

Classroom Closure LessonAs I've been wrapping up lessons in classrooms (grades 3-5), I have been using the crumpled heart metaphor. It's been a powerful lesson to end with, though you could easily use it mid-year during a unit on kindness or anti-bullying.

I started by having students each cut out a heart from a small red rectangle. Then, each student was asked to write four things:1. your name2. the name of someone important to you3. an activity you enjoy4. one word that best describes you

I talked with them about the importance of protecting our heart and sharing our information with people we trust. I showed them my own heart and gave examples of statements that could be made that would hurt my feelings, crumpling my example as I spoke (ex: If someone walked up to me and said "You like to read? Only nerds like to read!" My feelings might be hurt *crumple that section of the heart* and I might not want to read anymore. Or I would read, but keep it a secret...)

Perhaps the most powerful part was when I asked students to then crumple their own hearts- some students cried out in protest, others simply could not bring themselves to do it! We talked about why it was so hard, and how much words can hurt what we hold dear in our hearts. I walked up to several students and asked them about my heart, and they rushed to compliment or reassure me (without even prompting them!), which helped to "uncrumple" my heart. Students were then invited to walk around and say kind words that would uncrumple each other hearts. They loved this part!

At the very end of the lesson, we felt the softness of the wrinkled construction paper and discussed the term "soft hearted." We discussed how empathy ties into a soft heart, and how we can choose to speak kindness into others' hearts after our own hearts have been crumpled. It was a powerful way to end the year.

Small Group Closure ActivityFor small groups in upper elementary, try completing a compliments mandala! Each group member draws a large circle and divides it into the number of people in the group (including me). Then each person writes their own name and a word that describes them (in case another group member is stuck- they can basically copy or do a slight variation). Pass the circles around, so each member can write their name and a compliment in a section of the mandala. Time given per person depends on the maturity level of students and how detailed you'd like them to be. Students can keep the mandala as a reminder of the group experience.

Individual Session Closure ActivityWith individual students, use a modified version of the feelings map. There is a wonderful worksheet on the Social Work Helper blog that you can download for free (check out the site, too)! It's a way to create some closure with students.

For this activity, I ask the student to complete a map that describes me, and I complete one for them. We brainstorm a list of words that could describe others. We write down 6 words that fit the other, then we color the map and discuss the time(s) we have met together. Then we trade the maps and share what we created. Students have the opportunity to remember the time spent together, and especially that they get to hear some of the qualities others see and appreciate in them. It's been a nice little warm fuzzy to wrap up individual sessions.